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Albania, Macedonia backed for European Union membership talks

Апреля 18, 2018 09:55·
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The EU on Tuesday backed the opening of formal membership talks with Albania and Macedonia as the bloc looks to expand into the Balkans and grow for the first time in years.

Any prospective members must make sweeping reforms to secure their entry to the 28-member bloc.

The EU's Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, and theHigh Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, will visit Albania's capital Tirana to hand over the bloc's progress report on Albania's integration progress before heading to Skopje for talks with Zaev.

The Commission said in a statement that both countries had made "progress" in various areas, but added that certain reforms are necessary.

Speaking before the European Parliament in Strasbourg hours after the commission unveiled its recommendation, French President Emmanuel Macron said that enlargement needed to be preceded by reforming the EU at its current size.

In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, which Belgrade still rejects. "They are part of a wider process of modernization and reforms".

But European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, whose institution recommends whether countries should be allowed in, insisted that Europe's door must remain open.

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Rama said during a news conference that launching membership negotiations would mean "entering into a new stage, more hard, of the reforms and further escalation of the fight against crime and corruption".

"Albanians deserve recognition for the efforts that they've made for accession".

Macedonia's membership prospects have been held up by a dispute with Greece over the tiny Balkan country's name.

The report says the commission wishes to give a "strong message of encouragement" for the whole Western Balkans and a "sign of the EU's commitments to their European future".

EU member states must endorse the European Commission's proposal before talks can start.

The announcement comes a month ahead of a summit in Sofia when the leaders of six Balkan nations will be given fresh hope of eventually joining the European Union, amid rivalry between Brussels and Moscow over the region.

The six West Balkans countries - Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo - each have aspirations to join the European Union and each one is at a different stage of the process, says the commission.

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The EU on Tuesday backed the opening of formal membership talks with Albania and Macedonia as the bloc looks to expand into the Balkans and grow for the first time in years.Any prospective members mus...
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